Well, the USDA is at it again. They want to define another useful term
in in a specific way and then require that farmers get their permission
to use it, just like they did with organic. This time they're defining
"naturally raised" for meat products.
This new label will cause confusion, and undercut the name recognition
we've worked so hard to build over the past five years for Certified
Naturally Grown. And their definition of "naturally raised" is weak. It
simply requires that the animals weren't treated with antibiotics or
horomones but it doesn't say anything about the animals' living
conditions or the feed they're given. Meat from animals raised in
confinement operations and given conventional feed could qualify!
The "naturally raised" label, if adopted, will also undermine the
Certified Organic label. Whatever its flaws, participation in the
National Organic Program has been responsible for taking many thousands
of acres out of conventional agriculture. We don't want to see that
progress lost as big livestock producers opt for the easier "naturally
raised" marketing label instead of organic.